Pokemon - JNPR Version
by Arrancon
Summary: The world of Pokemon is no easy place for a struggling student at Beacon Academy for Rising Trainers. After a chance encounter with a strange beast searching for its own escape from the world, life may finally take a turn for the better for Jaune Arc. Or perhaps the dark intentions of others may bring him into a conflict he never asked to be a part of...
1. The Nobodies

**Whaddup? Its ya boi Arrancon here.**

 **After finishing my last RWBY fanfic, _Big Brother: Ozpin_ , I honestly thought that was the last fic I would ever write. With as popular as it had gotten, I thought I would just depart on a high note. **

**But I caught the fanfic bug again, as you can clearly see here.**

 **I tried a Pokemon crossover fic once before (with Neon Genesis Evangelion), and I dropped it after my NGE phase calmed down quite a bit. Now, with RWBY and Pokemon literally being my two main reasons for waking up in the morning, I decided to combine them. I want to make this the most unique Pokemon/RWBY tale I can come up with, and I hope that you will enjoy seeing the spotlight focused on everyone's favorite B-Team of Team JNPR and a unique new Pokemon from Sun and Moon.**

 **Now, I present to you all: _Pokemon JNPR Version._**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Everyone has a dream that fills their heart. A journey that they must take. A destiny to fulfill. As close as within your imagination exists a magical place where wondrous creatures with incredible powers help make these dreams come true:_

 _It's the world of Pokemon._

 _People can capture Pokémon to be more than just pets. Human trainers and their Pokémon compete against others in amazing contests of skill and strategy. The best trainers one day become Pokémon masters. That's a dream that burns brightly for many…_

 _But some wish for something more._

 _In a world full of a wide variety of life and soul, there are those who still cannot find a companionship in either humanity or nature. These people are driven to the extreme to fill the emptiness within their heart._

 _And sometimes, these searches for happiness lead them down a path that cannot be returned from…_

* * *

My name is nothing.

He calls me nothing, but I don't know why. I am nothing to him.

This place is cold. That man is cold. He keeps me here, in this cell I despise. My siblings suffer in silence like me in pens outside side of the bars to my cell. They are in pain. They want my help, but I can do nothing for them. They are just like me. We share the same chains, the same helmets to hold our head down in shame. Our bodies are not our own. I am many at once, but one at the same time. I confuse myself. I should not exist, yet I live and breathe like any other.

I don't know why I exist, but I know other things.

I do not like this cell.

I do not like that man.

And I want to leave this place.

* * *

The empty silence of the underground chambers is met with the clashing of metal bars on cement, triggering the flashing red strobes of the alarm system. In the chaos of alternating darkness and crimson light, the shadow of a monstrous creature is projected onto the wall. Its crested head pivots from right to left as it checks for any incoming security drones before sprinting as fast as it can down the hallway, smashing its way through a steel door with its copper helmet meant to restrict its strength and speed. Though not biologically meant for this purpose, its fish-like tail increases its maneuverability like a rudder, helping it better make sharp turns down corridors. It runs up flight upon flight of steps, ascending from the depths of its creator's fortress to its upper levels high above the ground.

It encounters its first obstacle in the form of two non-sentient drones: human-like in shape, but their blank visor faces lacking any sort of expression. They raise their stun guns as the creature, but it knows better than to get struck by their blasts. It lunges at one and cuts it in half at the torso with the talons of its green, draconic front limbs, flinging its pieces at the other drone to temporarily disable it as it continues to make its escape. It zig-zags down hallways, desperate in its hunt for an exit until it reaches a dead end: a bottleneck room, with a large window overlooking the pine forest extending for miles outside. The creature turns back to go the way it came until it sees the glowing blue emanation of drone weaponry in the shadows.

If it stood its ground to fight, there was no chance of escape. There was only one option left.

The creature took a few steps back from the window, preparing itself for its first (and perhaps final) leap of faith.

Just as the drones closed in from behind with cattle prods to shock it into submission, it crashed through the glass and began to fall four stories down into the pine forest. It tasted its first morsel of fresh air, feeling the warmth of the summer night hit its black fur as it descended.

Whatever fate may await it upon hitting the earth, it would certainly be a better future than rotting away in that pen for a lifetime.

* * *

"Hey, Jaune… _Jaune."_

Jaune Arc could barely open his sleepy eyes as he rolled over in his bed to swat away the hand shaking his shoulder to wake him up. Yawning, he sat up and scratched at his blue sleepwear before giving his roommate a tired look. "Ren… I'd thank you, but if you couldn't tell I felt like sleeping through class today."

Sighing, Lie Ren put his hands in his pockets and gave him a blank look. "You know I can't let you skip today. I know you don't like the monthly progress battle, but you've slept through the last two. Glynda will probably fail you if you miss another one."

"Why do you have to be right?" Jaune groaned, pulling himself out of bed. He looked over his shoulder at a mound of sheets slowly rising and falling near where his head had been laying. "Wake up, buddy. Time for class."

The mound fidgeted for a moment, before a round yellow head poked out from beneath. The pudgy snake-like creature wriggled out and rubbed up against Jaune, fluttering its tiny wings as it waved its drill-like tail.

"Dunsparce seems more awake than you do, for once" Ren commented as the Pokemon fluttered down to the floor, slinking across the cluttered dorm room to its food bowl.

"Last training session went pretty well," Jaune said as he changed into his clothes for the day, "He managed to take out a small clan of Raticate without breaking a sweat."

"Then why worry about today?"

Jaune returned Dunsparce to his Pokéball, clipping it to his belt. "When you lose to a wild Pokemon, they don't catch up with you after class to mock you for an hour or so like Cardin does."

* * *

Unlike most other parts of the world, certification as a Pokemon trainer did not come once a person hit the age of 10 in the region of Vale. If one wanted to travel alongside a team of Pokemon, they would be required to attend Beacon Academy for twelve school years in order to become familiar with the rules and technicalities of Pokemon battling and care. Starting from simple concepts such as type match-ups and ending with intricate skills such as breeding families and EV training, anyone who went through the months and months of preparation at this school would be ready to take on any challenge the world of Pokemon might throw at them.

Like every trainer, Jaune Arc was given the opportunity to choose a partner Pokemon for himself upon becoming a first year student years ago when he came to Beacon Academy as a child. He still remembered that day clearly in his head: the hustling of parents trying to control their kids as they scrambled to choose themselves their very own Pokemon. There was a large variety to choose from, ranging from tiny Joltik that could fit in the palm of one's hand to large Onix that were ten times the size of their adolescent trainers. While most kids went for cool choices like Rhyhorn, Elekid and Bagon, Jaune found himself face to face with the dopey looking Dunsparce. He had remembered seeing the odd Pokemon in a picture book when he was little, and always had a soft spot for the snake.

Jaune's first years of school went very well. Being a non-evolving Pokemon, his Dunsparce was significantly stronger than the baby Pokemon owned by most of his classmates. By the time he reached his fifth year, signs of struggle began to appear. With his peers evolving their Pokemon, it became apparent that Dunsparce was no longer at the top of the pecking order. Jaune began to rack up a losing streak in battles, Dunsparce unable to keep up with stronger opponents. Though he was not failing by any means, he and Dunsparce were at the bottom of every battling class and it was taking a toll on his motivation.

If it wasn't for his friends, Jaune would have dropped out of Beacon years ago. Ren had been his oldest companion, having met the calm oriental boy the same day he received Dunsparce. The two had remained roommates since that day, and Ren had helped keep him on his feet when things got rough.

He was also a pretty decent alarm clock to boot.

"You didn't forget Dunsparce's Chesto berry this time, did you?" Ren asked Jaune as they entered their classroom. They took a seat in the back row, giving them the best view of the lowered battle arena where they and their peers would spar.

"He's got it," Jaune answered, patting his Pokéball, "I hope he doesn't decide to eat it early again. I made sure to give him extra food in his dish this morning to make sure he was full."

"Did _you_ remember to eat yourself?"

"…I knew I forgot to do something this morning."

Rolling his eyes, Ren reached into his bag and handed Jaune an energy bar. "Good thing I brought this then."

"Gee, thanks mom," Jaune said with much sarcasm, unwrapping his breakfast.

"You'll thank me later."

As he finished stuffing the bar into his mouth, Jaune caught sight of a familiar face entering the room from the corner of his eye. Her bright red hair, kept up in a ponytail like always, was hard to miss. She noticed him waving and smiled as she ascended the steps to occupy the seat beside him.

"Good morning, Jaune!" Pyrrha Nikos said cheerfully as she scooted her chair in, "Are you ready for today's battle?"

"If I said yes, would you believe me?" Jaune said, trying to look confident.

Pyrrha's smile turned to a look of concern, putting her hand on his shoulder. "If Cardin tries anything after class, you know I'll be there to help."

The kindness of this girl still baffled Jaune. When the two had met as first year students, he hadn't really made the best impression. Before her, the only girls he had ever spoken to were his sisters and mother. Even with his awkwardness as he stumbled over his words, Pyrrha had giggled at him and stuck by his side. She had helped him train for years now, giving him tips and advice when they went out into the wild to level up their Pokemon or just when they were studying for exams together.

"Thanks, but he might have some of his pals with him today for backup. Last time you helped me out he and his Rhydon ran away with their tails tucked between their legs from you. Might come packing reinforcements."

"If needed, I will be there too," Ren added in, "I will also have Nora on speed dial if we need even more backup. She would be there in an instant, even if she has to leave in the middle of class."

"Hopefully she won't injure anyone by accident this time," Pyrrha sighed.

Jaune shrugged. "Pyr, its Nora we're talking about. Can't expect anything less than that. As long as one of those people is Cardin I don't really mind."

The classroom door clicked shut as an older blonde woman and her female Meowstic strode into the room. She adjusted her glasses, sitting on the top of her desk as her feline Pokemon stood firmly by her, its piercing yellow eyes looking over the students.

"Good morning, class," Glynda Goodwitch said, skimming through her roster list as she took attendance, "I expect that each of you are ready to participate today. If your Pokemon are not completely healthy, you may take a few moments to…" Glynda stopped mid-sentence, both her and Meowstic looking right at Jaune. "Well, it has been a while since I have seen you come to a battle session, Mr. Arc. I hope you aren't sitting way in the back to hide from being picked."

With most of the class now staring at him as well, Jaune felt the pressure building up. He looked at Pyrrha, then Ren, before standing up to defend his honor.

In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best thing he could have done for himself at that moment.

"Of course not!" he proclaimed with a hint of bravado, "I am more than ready for battle today! Heck, I am so ready that I might not even need to demonstrate my skill!"

Not impressed by his bluff, Glynda set her list on the desk. "I see. Then let us see if your battling expertise matches your words. You shall be going first today."

"…Say what now?"

Without the slightest desire to explain her decision, Glynda looked to the rest of the class. "Would anyone like to volunteer and test their mettle against Mr. Arc?"

"I will, Miss Goodwitch!" Immediately, a tall, heavily built young man raised his hand. He glanced back at Jaune, giving him a cocky sneer. "Jauney Boy and I haven't gotten to know each other for a while. He doesn't like to play anymore."

Jaune slammed his head into the desk in frustration. _Of course_ Cardin Winchester had to be the one to humiliate him today. Any time that smug jock was given a chance to torment him (especially in front of a crowd), he would take it. Jaune could still barely believe the jerk was still bitter about that incident in sixth year…

Which was totally not his fault in any way.

Seriously, that was all Sky Lark's fault. That jerk was even more conniving than Cardin. Jaune never wanted-

"Mr. Arc!" Glynda said sharply, "Please bring yourself and your Pokemon down to the field so we may begin."

Sighing, he took a look of encouragement from Pyrrha and Ren before trudging down the steps, all eyes on him as he walked to imminent defeat. Cardin was standing with arms folded, already having sent out his Rhydon for combat. The rocky reptilian Pokemon grunted and smashed its fists together as Jaune stood across the field from it.

"Let's get this over with, I guess," he muttered. Taking Dunsparce's Pokeball from his belt, he sighed once more before tossing the ball. The small snake fluttered to the ground, turning to Jane and wiggling its tail. At least the little guy had enough confidence for both of them.

"Now," Glynda said, crossing her legs and clapping once, "Let the battle begin!"


	2. Counters and Coffee

**Thanks to all those following the story already!**

 **Just a few things: chapter length will range from short to long, and I will try my best to update at least twice a week if not more.**

* * *

Just as Glynda announced the start of the match, a holographic projection appeared on the large wall behind her. The health bars of both Jaune and Cardin's Pokemon popped up and filled to green in an instant. They wouldn't stay that way for long, however.

"Get 'em, Rhyhorn!" Cardin shouted, pointing at his target, "Use Megahorn!"

The ground shaking with every running step it took, Rhydon lowered its head so its nose horn could strike Dunsparce. Jaune knew such a powerful attack was a bit easier to dodge, and Dunsparce could take advantage of him missing.

"Use Dig, Dunsparce!" Arc ordered. Its tail beginning to spin, his small snake quickly burrowed backwards into the dirt floor as Rhydon swung its head right above it.

"Wait, Jaune-!" Pyrrha shouted upon realizing that it may not have been such a smart play after all, but stopped herself. She would have yelled for him to call Dunsparce back out of the ground, but helping another classmate was against the rules. She looked at Ren, who must have also figured out the same thing she just had.

"This won't end well," he said to her, sighing.

Not hearing Pyrrha's brief warning, Jaune couldn't help but feel a bit cocky for getting the brief upper hand. "Weren't expecting that, were you Cardin?" he smirked at his opponent.

Cardin grinned right back at him. He had the perfect counter to Arc's strategy. "Actually, I was. _Use Earthquake!"_

With a powerful stomp, Rhydon caused an enormous tremor in the ground, the force displacing the field into a jagged mess of earth and cement. It was a good thing that a force field separated the seats from the battle area, or else there would be dozens of students filing injury claims.

"Crap!" Jaune winced. A regular Earthquake attack would have done a huge chunk of damage to Dunsparce's health: taking one while under the ground had just done double that damage! He saw his Pokemon's HP meter had already reached the red, leaving his chances of winning this match slim to none.

From under the rubble, a weak Dunsparce shot up with what little strength it had to strike the horned Pokemon in the belly. Rhydon stumbled backward from the blow to its less armored area, but shook off the attack like nothing.

" _Dunsparce!"_ Jaune called out, trying to think of his next move, "Use-

"Finish it, Rhydon!" Cardin interrupted, smashing his fists together, _"Stone Edge!"_

With one final stomp, Rhydon forced a cluster of pointed rocks to erupt from under Dunsparce. The strength of the impact sent the snake flying upwards, nearly hitting the ceiling before crashing to the ground just in front of Jaune's feet.

"And that is the match," Glynda stated, the holographic screen wiping away Dunsparce's empty HP meter. Jaune knelt down to check on his Pokemon, holding back from looking at his classmates whose judgmental eyes he knew were fixated on him. Goodwitch walked over to him, handing him a Max Revive. "I am afraid that you still have much to improve on, Mr. Arc. I will give you some credit for not backing down from the battle; however, I expect you to have much more to show for yourself next time."

"Yes, Miss Goodwitch," Arc said quietly. Across the field, both Cardin and Rhydon were laughing at him.

" _Nice work,_ Jauney-boy!" Cardin said sarcastically, "You _sure_ showed me your skill! _Ha!"_

"Enough Mr. Winchester!" Glynda scolded, "Return to your seats, both of you. Mr. Thrush, Miss Adel. You two are up next."

As the next match started, Jaune slumped back into his seat. Pyrrha gazed at the beaten boy from the corner of her eye, that sense of helplessness coming back again. "You did your best, Jaune," she said, offering all she could to him right now. Jaune didn't reply, sitting there silently with Dunsparce still in his lap. He hadn't even used the Max Revive yet, still clutching it tightly in his shaking hand.

* * *

"Order up!"

Just after class ended Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren had decided to visit a café just off of campus to help the former clear his head. Luckily, Cardin had decided that he had humiliated Arc enough today, and didn't wait to pick on him after class was dismissed. Still, the damage had been done.

"Here you go, Jaune," Velvet Scarlatina smiled, the barista's Lopunny bringing over a tray of drinks to him, "One lavender tea, one vanilla iced coffee and a glass of water."

"Thanks, Velvet," Jaune said, putting a few coins in the money-tight student's tip jar before returning to his friends at their table. He noticed Dunsparce had dozed off in his seat, and he gently placed the snake on the ground. "Poor guy is still exhausted…"

"Don't let it keep you down, Jaune," Pyrrha consoled, sipping from her straw, "We all lose a battle every once and a while. The best way to move forward is to keep training."

"I know, I know," Jaune replied, exasperated, "If it was anyone other than Cardin, I might have had a chance. Dunsparce doesn't really match up well against a Rhydon, and he knew it. Man, if only I had a Blastoise I could send that jerkoff packing..."

"But you don't," Ren followed, always the realist, "Which means you have to work even harder with Dunsparce to gain that victory."

"Couldn't you lend me Serperior for just a day Ren? I know she still acts stuck up with you sometimes, but maybe curb-stomping a total d-bag will change her attitude?"

Ren sighed, peering over across the room where his grass serpent was coiled in a ball, absorbing the sun's rays through a glass roof. It opened one red eye to look at its trainer before dozing off again. "I doubt that very much."

"Guess you're right…" Jaune trailed off, watching cars pass by on the street outside the café. People and their Pokemon, coming and going, hopping from region to region… and here he was, stuck and struggling to even pass the grade. "…You guys don't think I-

"No, Jaune," Pyrrha stopped him before he could go any further. She had heard this conversation before. "You belong here just like the rest of us. Not everyone's journey is the same. Overcoming one that is more difficult just makes achieving your dream even more satisfying." Subconsciously, Pyrrha had let her hand slide softly over his on the table. Jaune hadn't noticed, only feeling the whoosh of air as she quickly retracted it with a hint of blush in her cheeks.

"What'll be really satisfying is seeing Cardin's face when I finally show him up."

"You're letting him win, Jaune," Ren chimed in, "He wants to get under your skin. I'm not saying you defeating him is a bad thing, but try not to get obsessed with it."

"I can't do much else with him constantly screwing with me, Ren! I gotta make him see that messing with me was a bad idea."

Pyrrha played with her straw to cover her anxiety; she didn't like seeing a Jaune craving for revenge. It was far from the part of him she admired most. "How about we take a walk after this, Jaune? A stroll through the Johto Garden, maybe?"

"That doesn't sound half bad, actually," Jaune said, "I haven't gone there to feed the Goldeen in a while, anyways. Dunsparce enjoys it too. It'll help take our mind off things."

With their plan for the afternoon finalized, Ren's phone began to buzz. He pulled it out of his pocket to read the message. He stood up, taking his drink and slinging his knapsack over his shoulder. "Time for me to head on out, it seems."

"Nora?" Jaune asked, to which Ren nodded.

"She just got out of class. Don't let her know we came here without her. I still have her on that caffeine ban."

"I swear, you two are more like father and daughter than a couple sometimes."

"I think it's just sweet," Pyrrha smiled, "You two enjoy yourselves."

"Same to you guys," Ren waved, returning Serperior to her Pokeball before walking out the door. Sighing to himself, Jaune picked Dunsparce up under his arm. The snake was heavy for his size, but he was used to the weight after carrying the lazy pudge for years.

"After you," Jaune said, gesturing for Pyrrha to go first. She giggled at him as she pushed her chair in.

"Someone is feeling like a gentleman today."

"That, and I don't remember how to get to the garden from here," he answered sheepishly.

"It seems I need to teach you about directions in addition to our usual battling lessons," Pyrrha said as they walked out the door, Velvet calling out to them to stop back soon. They took a right down the block and continued to talk, unaware of the small black bird eyeing them from atop a parked car. A large semi-truck halted in front of it at a stop light, interrupting its view of the two students. By the time it drove away, the Dark-type Pokemon was gone, as if it had never been there at all.


	3. Fishy Business

"Alright then… my turn."

Jaune and Pyrrha were seated on a bench enclosed by stalks of bamboo in the Johto Garden, tossing flakes of bread into a small pond swarming with fish Pokemon. The Water-types had an aggressive pecking order; the larger Seakings would lance bread with their horns before it even hit the water's surface and swim off, leaving little scraps for the weaker Wishiwashi and Magikarps squirming for just a morsel. To help out the weaker fish, Dunsparce was lying just at the water's edge gently nudging whole loafs in to help fill their stomachs.

"So," Jaune said, "Would you rather fist fight a Hitmonchan, or kick box with a Hitmonlee?"

"That's quite the question, don't you think?" Pyrrha replied, "I don't think I could pick either one. Both options would end terribly…"

Jaune shrugged. "Hey, you made me chose between kissing Professor Oak or Professor Port. If I had to answer that twisted question, then you have to answer mine."

"I still cannot believe you would want to taste Port's salami moustache!" the girl laughed, just imagining the visual.

"Hey! He's a nice man!"

"Okay, okay…! Um, I guess I would take the Hitmonchan fight then. I'm not very good at kicking. At least I would have somewhat of a chance." Pyrrha reached for another piece of bread, but found that she had run out. "Well, it seems I'm finished. How long have we been talking for?"

"Well, we had at least $10 worth of bread, so… Wow, about an hour or so already. Time flies." Tossing the rest of his bread into the pond, Jaune stretched his legs out and yawned. "Jeez. Middle of the afternoon and I'm already tired."

Looking around and noticing how excluded they were from anyone else, Pyrrha made use of the situation. "We could sit here for a while longer, if you want. I can keep lookout if you decide to nap."

"Nah," Jaune declined, Dunsparce inching back from the water's edge to him. "Looks like Dunsparce wants to see the rest of the garden now. We should probably let someone else use the bench instead of me hogging it as a bed anyways."

Dang. There went that opportunity. Pyrrha rarely got one-on-one moments with Jaune like this outside of studying and training where she could talk with him about more personal things. Still, they hadn't left their little alcove just yet…

"…So, Jaune," Pyrrha spoke, choosing her words carefully, "What do you think the theme for this year's Summer Formal will be?"

"The dance?" Jaune raised an eyebrow, "Pyrrha, you know I haven't gone to one of those in years."

"Well, yes. But this is going to be our last one before graduation. I thought you would have possibly changed your mind about attending."

Sighing, Jaune picked Dunsparce up and slid him into his backpack. The snake wiggled for a few seconds in it before finding a comfortable position. "It's not like I don't want to go. The only thing that'd get me to go would be if I could actually find a girl who would say yes to a date. And then I'd have to muster up enough guts to ask her out before that, which probably wouldn't happen."

"Well…" Pyrrha was drawing circles in the grass with her feet behind Jaune as she pushed the words out, "What if _we_ went as-

"Hold up, Pyrrha…" One hand raised up to pause her question, Jaune could have sworn he had heard a faint, whimpering noise coming from nearby. The girl, though not too pleased with her attempt to ask him to the dance being shot down prematurely, went silent and also heard the sound. "Do you hear that?"

"I do. Is it a child?"

"I say we find out."

Waiting for Pyrrha to grab her bag, the two walked briskly through the bamboo pathway to find the source of the crying. They exited the reed forest into a wide clearing covered in grass with three large stone statues of the Johto region's Legendary Beasts, Entei, Raikou and Suicune, erected side by side in its center under an open oriental pagoda. A gilded sculpture of Ho-Oh, the magnificent rainbow bird rumored to have revived the beasts was placed at the peak of the roof to sit high above the entire garden. The sun glistened off of it perfectly; at an offhanded glance, one might mistake it for the real Pokemon, spreading rays of multi-colored light from its outspread wings.

Enthralled by the beauty of the statue, Jaune and Pyrrha soon snapped out of their trance when they spotted a woman running over to a little boy. Two masked, identically dressed individuals were walking away from them, laughing as they dug through a purse that was most likely not their own. Before Jaune or Pyrrha could say anything, one of the thugs spotted them and grinned.

"Hey-hey-hey!" the man said, handing the stolen purse to his partner, "You two didn't see anything, alright? Just two good Samaritans getting paid for their good deeds here."

"Yeah, right," Jaune snapped back as he and Nikos approached them. It was then he noticed the emblem embossed on their sleeveless vests: a bright red wolf head, with three claw marks behind it. Anyone from the region of Vale would recognize that symbol in a heartbeat. "What's a couple of grunts from the _White Fang Gang_ doing in a place like this anyways? Shouldn't you be rummaging through a dumpster or something?"

"Easy, Jaune," Pyrrha eased her friend, stepping slightly in front of him to address the thieves, "We don't want to cause any trouble with you if we don't need to. Just return the purse to the lady, and apologize to the child for whatever you did to him."

The two grunts glanced at each other, and burst into a cackle. The smaller one, a girl about the same age as Pyrrha, leaned into Nikos' space and sneered. "We don't have to apologize for anything! We told that kid the truth. It's his fault he can't handle it!"

"Speaking of that," the other spectacled grunt followed, "Neither of you would've happened to have seen any strange things around here, have ya? Not that I'd expect you to answer that. Just figured we'd let you know about the _beast_ that wants to tear you limb from limb out there in the wild before it gets ya."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jaune glared, "And I don't care. Give the purse back now."

Laughing again, the grunts refused to take the students seriously. "Oh yeah? You gonna do something about it?"

"Actually," Pyrrha removed the Pokeball from her belt, expanding it with the press of its center button, "I will. I challenge both of you to a battle. Handicapped. If you win, you keep the purse. Lose, and it is returned to its rightful owner."

Jaune looked at Pyrrha, receiving a wink of assurance as a reply. He couldn't help but smile, knowing these two goons were about to get what they deserved: an ass kicking.

"You sure are cocky, girlie," the female grunt took a few steps back, her partner following suit as they pulled out their Pokeballs, "That'll be the end of you!"

The White Fang Gang grunt's Pokeballs burst open revealing Pyrrha's opposition. One was a Stantler, bruised and battered from a life on the streets and bring a single antler on its head. The other grunt's Pokemon was an Alolan Raticate, evident by its black fur and rotund, overweight body. It gnashed its two large buck teeth, foaming at the mouth for battle.

"Any second thoughts yet?" the spectacled grunt asked, holding back laughter he would soon lose as Pyrrha kissed her Pokeball once for good luck and tossed it up into the air.

Now, students of Beacon Academy knew better than to mess with Pyrrha Nikos. Many of them dared not think of it, as they perceived her as one of the kindest, most gentle souls they had ever met. Those who could not stand her usual positive attitude did not provoke her either. But those who were foolish enough to do such that, or mess with her friends, would reap the whirlwind. After their defeat, the name of the Fighting-Dragon type would make them tremble in their boots.

And its name was Kommo-o.

The two grunts were beginning to feel the same sense of dread those who had challenged Nikos before them had felt as her Pokemon appeared before them. Its armor like scales rattled as it pounded its fists together, the bipedal dragon rising up to release its roaring battle cry. Kommo-o whipped its scaly headdress from out of its eyes to focus in on its two now quivering targets.

"To answer your question," Pyrrha smiled kindly, "No, I do not."


	4. Baneful Battle

"You gotta be kiddin' me..!" the female White Fang Gang grunt stammered, taking a step back from the intimidating majesty of Pyrrha's Kommo-o. Noticing her fear, the dragon decided to have a bit of fun and snarled at her. Its trainer patted it on the leg, shaking her head in disapproval.

"No, Kommo-o," Pyrrha scolded, "Treat our opponents with respect, even if they do not show us with much."

Jaune and Dunsparce stood a few meters back, taking precautionary measures to stay out of the incoming carnage's way. Though Pyrrha was a fairly sophisticated girl, her Pokemon was most definitely not. The dragon was well known for getting out of hand in the heat of conflict. It was the reason Jaune always carried some extra bandages in his bag in case he was somehow pulled into the maelstrom. Now that he thought about it, this chaos could actually be of some help. He took Dunsparce out of his bag, kneeling down to instruct it.

"Alright buddy," he said, "Gonna need your help for this one. Now listen close…"

The male grunt, though just as scared of Kommo-o as his partner, managed to keep his fear hidden. He bopped his partner on the top of the head to knock sense into her. "Get ahold of yourself, Deery! It's two on one! This won't be a problem!"

"If we lose Perry, then you're asking the boss for Revives!"

"Are you two ready?" Pyrrha asked, stretching her arms behind her head. The grunts didn't take too kindly to her casual attitude, and both pointed furious fingers at her.

" _Damn right we are!"_ they shouted simultaneously as their Pokemon lunged, _"Go get 'em!"_

With a toothy grin, Kommo-o eyed its charging opponents: Stantler coming straight at him, Raticate attempting to flank from behind. All he had to do was wait for Pyrrha to choose his first victim.

"Kommo-o, use Brutal Swing!"

The dragon was surprisingly agile for his size, as the grunts soon witnessed as it spun 360 degrees in place, using its scaly clubbed tail as a bludgeon to send both Stantler and Raticate flying in separate directions. Raticate's fat body sent it rolling like a ball, but it bounded back onto its feet right before it could collide with one of the pagoda's pillars.

"Get back in there!" Perry shouted at the rat, "Use Double Edge!"

Kicking up grass and dirt, Raticate barreled through the field right at Kommo-o. The dragon planted its feet firmly in the ground, holding its arms in a grappling stance. With Raticate getting closer by the millisecond, Pyrrha took notice of Stantler wobbling back to its feet some distance away. She decided to even the odds early.

"Use Flash Cannon on the Stantler!" Pyrrha commanded. The scales on Kommo-o's arms began to shine, and the dragon held outs palms to shoot a beam of bright light at the deer before it knew what hit it.

"Stantler!" Deery cried out as her Pokemon was sent flying once more. Perry didn't seem to care, only interested in his Pokemon finally landing a hit on Kommo-o.

"Wrong move, girl!" Perry grinned, his hopes crushed as Kommo-o reached out with one giant hand to pick his rat up like a play toy. _"Impossible!"_

Pyrrha figured it was time to end this battle; there was no sense in damaging her opponents' Pokemon more than was necessary. "Now, finish it Kommo-o! _Sky Uppercut!"_

Tossing Raticate straight up, as if it was serving a volleyball, Kommo-o clenched its fist tightly and punched the rat with all his might. The unconscious Raticate flew up high, descending like a stone and crashing through the roof of the pagoda. Pyrrha gasped, covering her mouth as a groundskeeper witnessed the damage.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized loudly, Kommo-o now by her side. Patting her dragon on its side, she returned it to its Pokeball as the White Fang grunts stood speechless in defeat. "Well, that was a good battle!"

" _Good battle?!"_ the grunts yelled together, fueled by rage "You… _You-!"_

They were quickly cut off as the ground beneath them suddenly caved in, and they tumbled down into the sinkhole. Pyrrha looked at Jaune for an answer. "What just happened?"

"Take a look," Jaune grinned, pointing to the hole. Fluttering out of it with his tiny wings was Dunsparce, carrying the purse in his mouth by the strap. He met the two students halfway, dropping the stolen goods at Jaune's feet. "Nice dig-work there, buddy. And excellent distraction, Pyrrha. Those two never saw it coming."

"I knew you would have something up your sleeve," Pyrrha giggled, putting her hand on Jaune's shoulder as the woman who owned the purse approached with her son.

"Thank you two so much!" she said, taking back her bag from Jaune, "You two deserve some payment for this!"

Pyrrha declined, waving her hands. "Oh, no need! We just did what was right!"

"Yeah, sure!" Jaune agreed, secretly wanting the reward, "The best kind of payment is no payment they say. Yup. None at all…" He noticed the two grunts pulling themselves out of the hole behind the woman, as did Pyrrha. The mother and son made a quick getaway with the grunts now standing again. When it seemed the pair was about to say something, they shut their mouths and smirked. "What's so funny?"

"Just you twerps." The new voice shocked Jaune and Pyrrha, and they turned to see a big, muscular man striding through the grass towards them. He wore a white and red mask that covered his entire face, and a tribal tattoo decorated his left arm. Jaune knew instantly that this was no ordinary White Fang Gang mook. "I come here looking to check up on two screw-up grunts, and then I find that they got their asses kicked by two kids. So somebody better start telling me what's going down here, or somebody's getting hurt."

"So you're their backup?" Jaune stepped towards the big man, but took it back when his masked face focused on him. The newcomer laughed, cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah. I'm also their _boss._ Gonna make something of it, boy?"

Sensing that things were going to take a turn for the worst, Pyrrha put her hand on Kommo-o's Pokeball. "I am standing here, too. We will both take you on if we have to."

"You've got guts," the boss clutched his single Pokeball tightly, "How about I rip 'em out and show them to you?"

A shrill call interrupted the tension. From up high, a Murkrow swooped down between Pyrrha, Jaune and the boss, swerving in the air towards the tree line where a man was standing. The black bird landed on his arm, and he fed it a berry as he came closer to the three. His unshaven face and staggering walk made him look like a typical street bum, but the look in his crimson eyes showed that there was more to him than met the eye. Brushing his bangs back, he pulled out a flask and took a quick drink before eyeing the White Fang leader.

"So," the man slurred, "This is what the White Fang Gang has come down to: hustling mothers and bullying kids. Real classy of you, _Banesaw_. What would Taurus think of how his group fell to such low standards?"

"I am not Adam," Banesaw growled, "And I never will be. He was unhinged, desperate to make a statement. You of all people should know that… _Branwen."_

That name. Jaune recognized it from somewhere… "Wait!" he exclaimed, "Qrow Branwen? You're Ruby's uncle, aren't you?"

The man nodded. "The one and only." He ended his brief interaction with Jaune to focus back on the White Fang leader. "Two options, buddy. One is we fight, you lose, and you go join your buddy Taurus in jail. Second is you just walk away right now with your grunts, and I don't have to waste my time on you. Choose wisely."

Considering attacking him for a moment, Banesaw realized he was outnumbered three to one and made the safer choice. He beckoned for his grunts, clipping his Pokeball back to his belt. "You're lucky I've got more important things to do. Next time won't be so fortunate for you… For any of you."

With one last threatening glare at Jaune and Pyrrha, Banesaw strode out with Perry and Deery running to catch up with him after retrieving their fainted Pokemon. Qrow sighed, reaching for his flask. "Coward. Just like his Pokemon…"

Pyrrha held her hand out to Qrow for a handshake, which she did not receive. "We've heard a lot about you, Mr. Branwen! Ruby would always talk about you while she was still at Beacon. She really looks up to you."

"But what are you doing here?" Jaune asked, putting Dunsparce back into his backpack, "Shouldn't you be at Signal teaching?"

The scruffy man grunted, his Murkrow eyeing Jaune. "You kids are so impatient these days, I tell ya… Wait till we get back to Beacon. Your Headmaster wants a word with me."


	5. Keeping the Peace

Ren and Nora Valkyrie's relationship was almost too perfect when looking at its history. The unlikely pair met in their first year, not too long after Jaune and Ren had become friends. For Nora, it was infatuation at first sight: the energetic girl never left Ren's side, his calm demeanor counterbalancing her rashness just by holding his hand. The boy would keep her out of trouble, especially when she and Pichu decided to pick fights with others much bigger than themselves. As the two advanced into their upper school years, it became more apparent that the two's bond was much more than playground friends. When Nora had learned of her parents getting divorced with neither claiming custody of her during her 10th year, Ren had left behind his own prestigious family who disapproved of him associating with a low-class commoner like Nora and found themselves a small, shoddy apartment in the outskirts of Vale to call their home. Even though they didn't have much to their names, all they needed was each other.

"Nora… Nora, wake up."

"Guh?" the redheaded girl lifted her head off of Ren's chest, the boy wiping her drool from his shirt. "What time is it?"

"7 PM. You fell asleep while studying again."

"Well, reading about EV training is pretty boring…"

Ren sighed, snapping the book shut. "You need to pass this next exam. This is very important information you need to know."

"I don't care about numbers and that junk!" Nora hopped off the bed, punching dramatically into the air. Her single Pokeball opened on its own, and her electric mouse Pokemon surfed on its tail around her in circles before high-fiving her. "Raichu and I are gonna shock any problem we come across!"

"But what if it's a Ground type?"

"Buzzkill..." Nora groaned, slumping down to the floor with her Alolan Raichu. The two felt their stomachs begin to rumble from the spark of depression. "Make us pancakes, Ren…"

"How about a salad instead?" Ren suggested, to which Nora and Raichu stuck their tongues out at him.

"Not sweet enough! Pancakes!"

She was like a baby sometimes, this girl. "Even if I wanted to make you some, I couldn't. You drank all the syrup on Tuesday. And I don't believe Raichu should consume any more pancakes, either. It already caused him to change appearance when evolving, and we aren't even in Alola where he can naturally evolve into that form."

"What do I have to do to get you to make them then?"

"How about study?"

"…Walked right into that one," Nora pouted, climbing back on the bed. Before she had the chance to doze back off, there was a knock at the door followed by Jaune and Pyrrha entering. "Hey-ooo! How's it hanging?"

After giving her Raichu a traditional high-five when it surfed over to greet him, Jaune set his bag on the floor so Dunsparce could be set free. "Well, for one thing the White Fang Gang can't handle Pyrrha."

"Say what now?" Ren asked.

Pyrrha took a seat at Jaune's desk, sitting gently in his chair and crossing her legs. "We encountered two grunts causing some problems in the garden, and I managed to put a stop to their mischief."

"I'd say it was a total curb stomp," Jaune added from aside.

The girl waved him off, modest as ever. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. Once their leader showed up, we most likely wouldn't be here right now if not for Mr. Branwen appearing."

"Wait-wait-wait!" Nora exclaimed, holding up two fingers to pause Pyrrha, "You mean Ruby's Uncle Qrow? In the flesh?"

"The one and only, like he said himself," Jaune answered, "Ruby's stories about him must have been spot on. The guy made the White Fang leader back down without even sending out his Pokemon."

Ren nodded, instantly accepting the statement. "It makes sense when you realize he's the man responsible for singlehandedly putting their old leader behind bars. What else did he tell you?"

"Yeah!" Nora chimed in, "Did he mention Ruby or the others at all? How are they doing at Signal?"

"He said they miss us," Jaune said, his eyes trailing across the room to a group photo framed by the window. In it was the four of them in the room currently, along with four other girls. Two of them, a blonde and a dark redhead, were giving the biggest of grins, while a white haired girl stood poised off to the side. A black haired girl was nearly cut out of the image, her blonde partner dragging her into the moment mid-shot; it was clear that she wasn't too fond of having her picture taken. "Just as much as we miss them."

Pyrrha could tell that remembering their other friends was getting to Jaune, so she spoke in his place. "Qrow told us that their field training with their Pokemon is going great. They are on a special mission now in the Sinnoh region, hunting down the remnants of Team Galactic from all those years ago. They should be arriving back at Signal sooner or later"

"Sounds dangerous," Nora said worriedly, Raichu swooping over to pat her shoulder in comfort.

"Training to become part of the Secret Police Force isn't easy," Ren said, "The four of them knew what they were going into when they departed to Signal this year. It was always Ruby and Yang's dream to follow in their family's footsteps and fight the evil of the world. I am glad that Blake and Weiss are with them to make sure they don't get into too much trouble."

Jaune nodded, turning his eyes from the picture. Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang were lucky enough to have chosen strong Pokemon – Scizor, Alolan Ninetales, Liepard and Blaziken respectively - that were able to help them succeed at Beacon to get them admission to the elite Signal Academy for Law Enforcement. He was proud of Ruby and her team going out and fulfilling their dreams, but at the same time it made him feel just a bit less of himself and his abilities. Before his demons could come to bite him, he was asked another question.

"So, why did he come here?"

"Huh?" Arc mind was momentarily stuck at Ren's question, but the gears soon started to turn. "Oh, it was something about the White Fang, I think. He didn't have much time to stay and get into detail, but just said to be alert."

"Ooh, ominous!" Nora bubbled excitedly, "Let's go find some danger!"

"Then count me out," Jaune answered with a smile, "I've got enough things to deal with."

* * *

The Headmaster's office was spacious, with a large window overlooking the entire school grounds. A regal desk sat by it, its surface covered with trinkets and books from across the globe, a fluffy pillow placed precisely one foot away from it. Qrow stared at the green and black canine Pokemon residing in it, its empty white eyes judging him. His Murkrow sat on his shoulder, continuously pecking at his hair for a treat even after countless efforts to wave it off. The dog's owner sipped from a coffee mug, reading a news report on his scroll. He was clearly an older man due to his white hair, but there was a strange timelessness to him.

"Well, Oz?" Qrow said to the man as he set down his scroll, "You think it's one of those monsters?"

"No, I do not," Headmaster Ozpin replied confidently, "If it was an Ultra Beast, there would chaos in the streets the moment it discovered civilization. This one is apprehensive. It seems to be avoiding humans. But it is still not something we can ignore. If you say that the White Fang Gang is searching for it, then whatever power this creature has is significant enough for _him_ to want it back."

Qrow grunted. He scratched Murkrow under its beak, finally giving in and feeding it a cracker from his pocket. "So you do think Merlot is behind this, then."

"Only a madman like Merlot would result to having street thugs search for a potentially dangerous creature. They are expendable to him, unlike himself. He will not show his face unless someone finds it."

"Like anyone would want to look at his ugly mug…" Qrow stood up, yawning, "I'm gonna rest up, then I'll keep an eye out for this thing. It's a long trip from Signal to here."

"Understandable," Ozpin said, petting his dog on the head. A small green glob dropped off of the dog, the slug-like form scurrying up Qrow's leg into his pant pocket. The biology of that strange Pokemon still creeped Branwen out even after having known the Legendary Pokemon for years now. "Zygarde will be there to keep communication between us. The moment you find anything related to this creature, do not hesitate to let me know."

"Gotcha," Qrow saluted lazily, walking off. He stopped right before he reached the door, however. "So… I'm guessing you want me to catch it, right?"

"If possible, yes. The safest place for a Pokemon is by a trainer. It keeps the peace in balance."

"And if it can't be caught?"

A slight hesitation: Ozpin hated thinking about the alternative solution. "…You know what must be done."

Qrow took a swig from his flask. He winced as the alcohol burned his throat. "Yeah. That's what I thought."


	6. Lusus Naturae

_**Hey-oo!**_

 _ **J**_ _ **ust want to say thanks again to anyone following the story, and an apology for the long break between updates. I'm back in college now, so updates will be less frequent. I will do my best to update this once a week while juggling it with updating my other fic Big Brother: Ozpin with side stories.**_

* * *

For being in the dead of summer, the night air was cold to the bone. It blew through the dorm hallway from an open window, and it had managed to slip in through the crack of the door to Jaune's room. While the cool breeze hadn't awoken Ren, it had drifted right into Arc's face. There was no way he was going to sleep with what felt like the breath of a Froslass hitting his eyelids for another five hours.

He slipped out of the room, closing his door slowly to prevent the usual squeaking sound it let out as to not wake his roommate. Treading softly, Jaune reached the source of the cold and pulled the screen down.

"There we go," he nodded in satisfaction. Ready to return to his bed, he found a sturdy body blocking his path; unfortunately, it wasn't a friendly face.

"You're up late, Jauney Boy," Cardin Winchester smirked, the smugness oozing from his ugly mug, "Can't stand a little cool air?"

"You gotta be kidding me," Jaune groaned, stepping back. The bully followed him, making sure he could intimidate him within his personal space, "Just leave me alone, okay!"

Cardin laughed loudly, probably trying to wake up the entire residence hall. He shoved Jaune with his palm, the smaller boy managing not to fall down. "Oh, you're acting tough now huh?"

"Get away from me," Jaune demanded, reaching or his waist. He gasped when he realized that Dunsaprce was not with him, the chubby snake snoring on his bed.

"No. And you should show me more respect," Cardin held up his single Pokéball like a chalice, "You're outnumbered here."

"…That's," Jaune's stomach dropped, "That's wrong. You wouldn't-

" _I_ wouldn't, no! But _Rhydon_ has a quick temper. He could mistake anything for a threat in such a dark hall like this one. And he _hurts_ threats."

Jaune had no choice but to comply now. "…What do you want?"

"Perfect," Cardin pulled Jaune in roughly, crushing his shoulders on his side, "You're gonna go buy me some Full Restores down at the 24 hour mart in town. About a dozen. Max Revives too. Anything expensive, I want it. You have cash, right?" Arc opened his mouth to answer, but Cardin slapped it shut. "Of course you do. Heck, I bet you have a credit card too! Your parents probably wouldn't mind you lending some cash to help out a good friend like me, right?"

The bully let Jaune go, shoving him ahead. Jaune almost glared back at him, but knew it wouldn't make his situation any better at all. He stared down at his feet instead, silently seething. "…Right."

"That's my Jauney Boy," Cardin said with sick glee as he walked past Jaune, shoulder blocking him for good measure, "Oh, and don't think about calling Nikos to save you this time. I made sure she won't be leaving her room tonight."

" _If you hurt her, I swear to-!"_

"Relax, relax… I just jammed her door shut with a chair. What kind of guy do you think I am? _Now get going."_

* * *

One day, someday, Jaune was going to make Cardin eat his words. He muttered colorful words under his breath as he rushed down the staircase of his dorm, kicking the wooden front door open out of frustration. Messing with him was one thing; messing with Pyrrha was another. Though he knew his friends could fight their own battles unlike him, Jaune wished he could at least be able to stand on the same level as them.

He shivered as a gust of wind hit his chest, his blue Diggersby pajamas billowing in the breeze. He was in the dead center of campus, standing by the large stone fountain of Kyogre still spouting water from its maw, as he tried to remember the quickest way into town.

And then he heard it.

It was a monstrous sound, deep and guttural but quite loud, and seemingly came from the dense woods to his left. The unnaturalness of it sent a shiver down Jaune's spine and made the hair on his neck rise in fear. He spun around, trying to see whether its source was nearby stalking him. Just as Jaune thought he was imagining things, he heard it again. But this time, it sounded more like… like it had said something.

Like it was calling for help.

No. No way. The last thing Jaune wanted to do was get himself killed. Just leave it to someone like Qrow to deal with.

…But what if Qrow got there too late?

Jaune flipped a coin in his head.

"…I'm going to regret this," Jaune shook his head as he ran towards the woods. He pushed himself through bramble for what felt like an hour, his pajamas ripping on the thorns as he tried to find the source of the sound. He nearly fell face first over a stone ledge in the dark, catching himself at the last moment only to roll down a muddy hillside instead.

" _Ugh!"_ Jaune grunted. He reached out and grabbed hold of a thick root jutting out of the soil, using it to steady back onto his feet. He looked down at his clothes and sighed. "I _just_ washed these yesterday…"

And then he heard the sound again. Louder this time.

Closer… Too close.

Right behind him.

Feeling his legs turned to mush, Jaune swallowed hard and looked behind him, expecting some predator to pounce and tear him apart. What he saw instead…

Well, he wasn't sure what he was looking at actually. It looked like many things. The body of a feline, a fish tail, the forearms of a reptile, a grey Corinthian crest; it was a mish-mash of different Pokemon parts. The only thing he couldn't make out was its face, which was concealed by a spiky copper mask. Only its glowing green eyes were visible, piercing his own orbs with an empty gaze.

"Oh, man…" Jaune felt his chest tighten, his breathing increasing rapidly. This thing must have been what the White Fang Gang crooks were talking about. And he sure didn't want to get involved with them again. He wanted turn back and forget about ever coming out into these woods, and just go buy Cardin's stupid crap at the-

" **Help me."**

What? Where did that voice come from? Was Jaune just imagining it? Was this all a dream? Because there was no way in hell that this creature was talking to him!

" **Can you hear me?"** the voice asked again, echoing inside Jaune's head. The boy' eyes widened as he clutched his head.

"This isn't real, this isn't real…" he whispered repeatedly, refusing to look at the chimaera.

" **I asked you a question. Answer me."**

" _What do you think?!"_ Jaune shouted at the beast. It flinched at his loudness, wincing in agony as it slid back. Arc noticed the display of pain, and spotted something lodged in its back paw. A thick stick jutted out from it, a hint of dried blood surrounding the spot of impalement. At least he knew why it was calling for help.

Jaune was afraid, but he couldn't just let this creature suffer.

"Hold still…" he said, cautiously approaching the creature. Luckily, some moonlight pierced through the canopy to illuminate the wound so Jaune could get a better look at it. He gripped the wood tightly, praying he wouldn't get a splinter of his own. "This will probably hurt."

Mustering his muscle, Jaune planted his feet firmly and pulled. The beast growled, digging its front talons into the earth as the wood exited its foot. With one swift motion Jaune popped the fragment out and flung it into the forest, the stick bouncing and cracking as it tumbled into the dark.

"There," Jaune panted, "All good."

The beast looked at its foot, wiggling it. Jaune saw its eyes narrow as the wound started to bleed a bit more. **"It still pains me."**

"It will take a while to get completely better," Jaune replied; he was glad they were alone, or else others would think he was conversing with himself instead of a telepathic voice. Kneeling down, he ripped off a piece of his tattered clothes and wrapped it delicately around the beast's paw. "That should help you out. Don't walk on it."

"… **Your kindness is welcome,"** the chimaera said, **"Though also surprising."**

"What do you mean?"

The beast seemed to ignore his words. **"I have heard once before about Pokemon trainers from my father. Are you a Pokemon trainer?"**

"Your father?" Jaune questioned, but decided to let that question slide for now, "I mean, yeah. In training, at least. Not a very good one though."

" **I see… Then you will do just fine."**

"What do you mean by that?"

The creature locked eyes with him once more. **"Help me save my brothers."**


	7. No Time for Nothing

"Your brothers?"

Jaune was starting to believe he really was dreaming. This whole scenario – finding a monster in the woods, helping it out, and it asking for his help – sounded like it was the plot to a movie. The beast looked at him intently, assuming it was an easy query to answer.

" **Do you not have a response?"** the chimaera asked, a hint of impatience in its telepathy.

"It's not every day I'm put in a situation like this!" Jaune replied, "Heck, this is probably the _first_ time I have been… If I was to say yes, where are your 'brothers' at?"

" **I do not remember."**

"Oh, well that's helpful."

" **My sense of direction is askew from all of my travelling. These woods are seemingly endless. Everything is quite blurry, actually… I only remember that they need my help."**

Jaune sighed. Did he pity the beast? Of course, but there wasn't much he could do to help it if it couldn't tell him anything. He couldn't take it back to Beacon either: not only would he be breaking to one Pokemon per trainer rule, but showing up with an unknown Pokemon as visually threatening as this guy would put him in some legal troubles he really didn't want to deal with. The best thing he could do was find it some shelter; maybe there was a cave near the rocky outcrops he passed by earlier?

"Can you walk?"

The beast raised itself off the ground, putting light pressure on its sensitive paw. It staggered briefly, but kept its balance. Jaune pulled out his scroll, using it as a flashlight to illuminate a path through the woods. The moon had disappeared completely behind dark clouds, and the pitter-patter of rain could be heard on the leaves of the canopy above. Jaune retraced his steps the best he could, avoiding climbing up steep surfaces so the Pokemon wouldn't put more strain on its leg. Eventually, he found a rocky outcrop jutting out from a hill. It was big enough for at least three people and the beast to fit inside.

"Stay here for a while," Jaune gestured to the cave, "At least until you can walk perfectly again. I'm pretty sure there's lots of people looking for you, so just lay low."

" **I am to lie on the ground forever?"**

"It's a saying. It means to stay hidden."

" **Then why not just tell me to hide?"**

"…Don't worry about it. I'll come back tomorrow, okay? What do you eat?"

The beast stared at him, tapping its helmet on the rocky wall.

"Oh, yeah. Guess you can't really put things in your mouth."

" **I remember I was given nutrition through injection. The needles hurt."**

Well, that was unnecessarily dark. Jaune put his hand on the beast's side, giving it an uneasy smile. "I'll bring you… something then. Just stay here." He was about to leave, when he realized he hadn't asked it probably the most important question. "I don't even know if you have one, or if you can remember it, but… What's your name?"

The beast looked at the ground, digging its front claws into it. It hated answering this question. Father always asked him it.

" **My name is nothing… My name is Null."**

* * *

By the time Jaune made his way back to Beacon, he was drenched in rainwater and shivering. Stepping into the main lobby of his residence hall, he saw Cardin snoring away on one of the couches. The jerk was probably waiting up for him and dozed off; Jaune figured avoiding him would be the best thing to do since he returned empty handed. The temptation to draw a certain body part on his ugly sleeping mug was tempting, however. If only he had a permanent marker…

That wasn't even close to his biggest problem right now. Should he tell someone about that creature Null? What about Ren? Qrow? Headmaster Ozpin?

No, he probably shouldn't. Not yet. Jaune may have helped Null out and gained its trust, but it could be violent towards strangers. It was still (technically) a wild Pokemon, after all. He'd have to think about it tomorrow, when he wasn't soaked and exhausted. Heading to the bathroom to sit under a hand dryer, Jaune spotted the handiwork of Cardin's goons: a chair, lodged under the handle to Pyrrha's room. There was no way he was going to walk past and leave it that way.

"Jeesh…!" Jaune grunted, trying to pull the chair out of place. Cardin's buddies really had it lodged in there! He put one foot on it, trying to get some leverage. "Alright. One… big… _pull!"_

Apparently Jaune wasn't aware of his own strength, as he sent himself falling backwards after yanking the furniture out of place. The back of the chair hit him in the face as it fell with him; just a sign that Cardin got the last laugh on him once more. Sitting up, he gripped his bruised face as the door to the room opened. A tired Pyrrha poked her head out, her undone red hair flowing over her shoulders.

"Who's there…?" she yawned, rubbing the sand from her eyes. When she could see clearly, she gasped at the hurt, soaked noodle before her. "Jaune? Are you okay?!"

"I wish," Jaune looked at the blood on his hand. Apparently that chair had hit his nose harder than he had thought "Aw, crap… And here I was, thinking I couldn't look any worse."

"Oh, dear!" Pyrrha rushed back into her room, returning with a T shirt in hand, "Here, use this to clean yourself up!"

"But this is your shirt-

"Oh, don't worry about that. I would rather you be well than worry about a dirty garment."

Jaune pinched his nose with the shirt as Pyrrha stepped outside to join him, closing the door behind her. He could hear her roommate Nora snoring loudly from inside. "She can sleep through anything, can't she?"

"It seems so," Pyrrha smiled, putting her hand on Arc's shoulder, "Now, tell me why you look like you just went swimming in a mud puddle in your pajamas."

"Blame Cardin for that," Jaune groaned, jerking his thumb at the chair, "And that too. Jerk sent me on a midnight run to the market. And I…" He paused, thinking of an excuse. He trusted Pyrrha with his life, but it wasn't time to tell her about Null. "I got a bit sidetracked."

"I can see that," Pyrrha pulled a twig from his hair, brushing it back into place with her fingers. She continued to groom him, licking her thumb and wiping a smudge of dirt off his forehead. Jaune laughed as he moved her hand away.

"That's enough, mom."

"Oh, hush. With how filthy you are, I should give you a bath right now." She suddenly blushed at the implication of that, and stumbled back over her words. "I-I'm sorry! That wasn't appropriate!"

"Heh. Nah, it's cool," Jaune assured her, standing up and holding his hand out to Pyrrha, "I think a shower would be a good idea right now. I can give you the shirt back tomorrow after I wash it."

"Oh no, you can keep it," Nikos took his arm as he pulled her up, "Just think of it as a souvenir, I suppose!"

This girl was too good to him. Jaune owed her so much for all the times she had saved his butt, and he couldn't think of any way to show how much he appreciated her company…

Well, there was one thing he could think of, but he didn't have the courage to ask her. No. No way. Best to leave things between them the same for now.

"Thanks, Pyrrha," he smiled, giving her a little smile before walking off for a shower. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course, Jaune," Pyrrha said, clasping her hands behind her back. She bit her tongue from the tingling sensation she felt from saying his name, staring at him while he left. "I'll be waiting."


End file.
